Road Trip!

In T-17 hours I start driving from Seattle to Chicago. I have a few planned stops along the way...seeing friends in Billings, MT and some others in random places. Normally I've always left for tour from home in OC, my feelings are always bittersweet: I love my job and what I do, but I hate leaving the people I love. I haven't been home in about a month, and I feel like I've created a sub-home here in Tacoma. For the first time in a while I've felt like a "normal" person -- being able to cook, clean, do regular life stuff -- but I'm of course, missing my friends and family in this whole process.

So, as I've been preparing to leave I've felt another bittersweet feeling that I haven't been able to quite understand. I think it's because I'm started to feel grounded where I am, and to jump up and leave again has been a difficult process.

Don't get me wrong -- I love what I do so much. I feel incredibly blessed to have such an amazing job, and I love my co-workers and how we're changing the world one child at a time. But I can't shake the feeling of missing routine and normalcy in my daily schedule. A co-worker on the road always tells me that he doesn't need routine, and doesn't need any sort of consistent schedule: I wish I could be this way! But I can't help it, I need (at least) a small portion of regularity.

I have a verse I've been meditating on for the past month, posted in my cube...
"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!" (Habakkuk 2:3 LB).

This has been helpful to re-read everyday, knowing that God is stretching me and preparing me for something...but then continually realizing that growing is part of the process. And through the growing/stretching period, it's what I glean from the process is what I need to learn.

Good thing God doesn't give up on us...because I think it's takes me longer to learn things than most people...

Goodbye emerald city -- hello windy city!